Heritage management guidance SPD

Approved in November 2014, this document provides detailed guidance on how heritage and design policies will be applied in decision making.

The main purpose of this guidance is to ensure the conservation of heritage assets and to make sure development enhances or reinforces those characteristics that contribute to the high quality of the Harrogate district environment.

The guidance sets out development principles for proposals that would affect the following types of heritage assets:

World Heritage Sites

buffer zone to World Heritage Site

scheduled ancient monuments

listed buildings

conservation areas

registered historic parks and gardens

registered battlefields

Nidderdale AONB

non-designated archaeological remains

non-designated buildings, structures or features

You can download the SPD and the appendices, which can be updated as and when necessary, such as when there are any changes to planning law. The SPD has been divided into seven parts and the following content can be found within each part:

Part 1 contains:
Chapter 1: Introduction to Guidance (includes an overview of the different types of heritage assets within the district)

Part 2 contains:
Chapter 2: Identifying the Setting of Heritage Assets (explains how to identify it and why development should be designed to minimise harm to setting)
Chapter 3: Local Distinctiveness (describing what it is, how it varies in the district and setting out how development should be designed in order to achieve it)
Chapter 4: Understanding Significance (an overview of this key concept for heritage asset, which is critical in understanding the value of our heritage)

Part 3 contains:
Chapter 5: Criteria for Identifying Non-Designated Heritage Assets (contains a set of criteria by which non-designated buildings can be identified)
Chapter 6: Understanding Context (explains how to assess context and why an understanding is important in designing new development)

Part 4 contains:
Chapter 7: Designing New Development (sets out the expectations of good design in new development – applicable for all locations, including historic areas)

Part 5 contains:
Chapter 8: Alterations to Historic Buildings (sets out the principles and expectations of proposals for alteration and extension to both listed buildings and non-listed buildings)

Part 6 contains:
Chapter 9: Recording of Historic Buildings (explains why and when the recording of historic building should be carried out and to what level of detail)
Chapter 10: Energy Efficiency and Micro-generation (sets out how measures can affect the significance of historic buildings and gives examples of good practice)

Appendices contain useful background information to support the content of the main chapters (including where to find additional information such as through other guidance documents and web links), including: policy context/designation types/planning legislation/list of conservation areas/article 4 directions/examples of design best practice/background to archaeology/glossary of terms/bibliography